The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-04-02
THE CITY OF MEXICO.
The Buildings, Parks and Street Railway
System of the Mexican Capital.

The Buildings, Parks and Street Railway
System of the Mexican Capital.
The houses present favorable APP
pearance. They are built of stone and
adobe, two to four stories in height,
with iron supports and balconies shaded
by bright-colored awnings. You enter
from the sidewalk, large double door
opening upon paved passage, which
also serves as u carriage-way. Going
through the passage you find yourself
in a paved court twenty to thirty feet
square, according to the size of the
building. Some of these courts have
fountains and flower pots in them;
others are unpaved in the center and
planted with flowers. Around the
court is a corridor, upon which open
rooms. This corridor is reached by a
broad stone stairway of easy ascent.
The windows of each room are barred
with iron, making the interior of
the house resemble a Jail if it were
not for the beautiful statuettcs and
fragrant blossoms that are dis
tributed about in every conceiy-
able space. The lower rooms are
used for household work, carriage
horses, etc. The family live in the
upper rooms. Anopen space above the
court and corridors affords light. which
penetrates skylight in the fiat roof.
The houses have no chimnevs and the
flat roofs are used by the laundresses to
dry clothes on. Many of the houses are
beautifully sculptured and ornamented,
and all possess II balcony at each win
dow. These balconies afford the dark
eyed senoritas an opportunity to hirt
with their eyes and fans. Oftentimcs
upon the ground floor one will find a
large store on either side of the en-
trance. This arrangement would surely
be novel sight to a person accustomed
to seeing large residences surrounded
by elegant grounds or with at least q
plot of green in front of them. There
are few such residences here, but
inclosed by a high adobe wall that shuts
off the view from the street. But if one
peeps through the gate of iron lattice
work the eye is enchanted with the
beautiful prospect within the inclosure.
These parks of the City of Mexico
are really novel as well as beautiful
sight. Comfortable seats shaded by
venerable trees, winding walks encir-
cling large beds of flowers and fine
fountains form Il picture of perpetual
spring-time. They are the breathing
spots for those who reside near them as
well us for those whose poverty causes
them to live in narrow, sitting
streets. The student can be seen in.
them at an early hour buried in his
books; the invalid in carriage or on
horseback, or perhaps being carried in q
| chair upon the back of Il stalwart porter.
Every one is out for an airing on Sun
day morning. PeoneS and peladOs,
wrapped in blankets, are to be seen in
sunny places thawing out; water carriers
passing to and from the fountains with
their morning supply of water; men in
| shirts and pantaloOns, straw hats and
sandaled feet; women i'll silks and in
rags and children with barely enough
to cover their nakedness are to be seen
on every side. Almost every nation is
represented in this city of surprises.
The system of naming the streets is
rather pulling to strangers, as a con-
tinuous thoroughfare is generally given
different title at every block. When
the same name is retained it is custom
airy to call the streets First, Second,
Third and so on. The street railways
or "tramways' are very fairly con-
Quoted. They radiate from the Plaza
in all directions and are equipped with
first and second-class cars.-Ne1ico
| Cor. San Francisco Chronicle.